Anyone know the RC of the PCKS BG-42?

R

Rifter

Joined
Dec 15, 2001
Messages
774
I have a PCKS 110 with BG-42 ans was wondering what the are HT'd to. Was wondering because mine is micro chipping in a few spots and has a chip on the tip near the tip. Im not complaining its stayed razor sharp for a year, just wondering if the chipping was normal.
 
Ok, this has got to be one of the best online knife forums, the buck 110 is hands down one of the most used knives in the world and no one can answer my question??????
 
I have three PCKS 110s with BG-42 and in moderate occasional use have, fortunately, experienced no edge chipping problems. I have found them to take an extremely good edge without undue effort and to hold that edge well.

IIRC the Rc for these BG-42 blades is 60-61. The links on Buck's website that lead to such information do not seem to be working, however there is some reference in the next to last paragraph in CJ Buck's first post in this thread concerning Buck's CATRA testing of its blade steels. This particular reference indicates an Rc of 60-62 but I seem to remember Rc60-61 being used in other material from their website and in various other replies given in various posts in the past here in the Buck Forum.
 
Rifter,
Sorry for the delay in responding to your request. Wray is correct that the Rockwell is about 60-61. I have not heard of the one having a problem with micro chipping. You might try honing them out, or you can send it back to Buck and we will put a new edge on it for you.
Hope this helps.
 
I agree with Joe that it should not be chipping without specific incidents that you would remember like drops on concrete etc...

The BG-42 material should not be overly brittle even at 62rc.

You should send it back in to us and we will rockwell it, evaluate it and either replace it or resharpen it based on the result.
 
like i said they are not big chips, the biggest is right near the tip though, if i take it out i will lose maybe 1/16" off the tip. At 61RC though i would expect it to be fairly brittle anyways. It still cuts like crazy and is still shaving sharp after a year of use, im not complaining. However yesterday i did encounter something that scared me. I noticed that slowly the lock is getting more and more play in it, i know this is normal for lockbacks. However i was chopping a 3" branch with it yesterday(didnt have a FB on me at the time) using a fair amount of force and on the final cut the branch snapped shaking my hand and the knife pretty good and i went to put the knife away. Thats when i noticed the blade had unlocked and there was a nice fine cut in my 3 fingers, wasnt bleeding bad or anything as the only force on the blade was momentum and the knife was super sharp but i have never had this knife fail on me before. maybe im just expecting too much out of it. Have you guys ever had one fail on you before?
 
Given the circumstances that you describe I definately think that you should return the knife to Buck Knives for their evaluation. I do not recall hearing of such a lock failure of a Buck 110 and I am sure that it will be of great concern to them. Their long record of quality in the manufacture of strong, well designed knives for real world hard use and impeccable customer service suggest to me that you will receive prompt and effective attention.
 
hmmmm. not good, I will be returning the knife after all. Just did some VERY MILD spine wack tests(we are talking MAYBE 20-30lbs of force here) , mind you i was NOT using alot of force as i was holding the knife only with my thumb on one side and 3 fingers on the other as it was the only way i could hold it without my fingeres in the way(needless to say i didnt want to wrap my fingers around it). It failed all the tests(wacked it 5 times then gave up). Then just for refrence i wacked my CRKT m16-03Z(liner lock) I was able to get better grip on it and wacked it at least 3 times harder than my Buck, the lock did not fail, liner slide over on the blade on one hit but still held. Then i did the same thing to my CRKT M-18(also liner lock) and it did not fail either. I hate to say this but a CRKT liner lock outperforming a PCKS buck 110 is not a good sign. I could understand maybe if it was a cheap regular 110. Either way I will be returning it as soon as I dig up the address and they can do what they want with it, Im not sure im going to trust my fingers to it again though. I guess the guy that said to me once

"why use a folder? Its just a broken fixed blade"

Was right, I got the 110 because everyone said it was bullet proof and would not fail. I hope this is a problem with my knife and can be repaired or fixed somehow as i really do like the knife. Anyone have the contect info for returning a knife to PCKS? is it the same as the regular buck knives?
 
Chopping a 3" branch with a folder? That explains a lot of what you are observing, if this is the type of use it has seen. The E2K on your blade is fabulous for cutting, but is on the thin side for chopping. If it were me, I'd use my machete or hatchet for that type of work.
 
I was not near my house and was not lugging my BK&T PM with me at the time :D and it needed to be chopped, i wasnt chopping it for the hell of it. Besides you would think a 110 could take it. But then again maybe not.
 
maybe i should clarify, the branch was 3" AROUND(think circumference), it was only maybe 1" thick(diameter).
 
im going as fast as i can on the bowie, rifter. Where was the L6 knife?? Huh?? ;) I guess its good you didnt use the damascus necker on it. Heck, use the kitchen knife :D
 
L6 knife was at home, I didnt expect to need a FB, thats why I took the buck :D I did have the necker on me though, maybe i should have used it LMAO wacking away with a 2" blade, yeah that would be great.
 
hehehe. that would have been interesting. 2" blade knife vs 1" branch :) Wait till u get the big one :D Soon, my friend, soon!
 
Hopefully real soon, i have some stuff im waiting to test it out on. Some brush and branches. Think path clearing.
 
Rifter,
PLEASE just send the knife in, it does sound like it needs some attention. You don't need to bloody any more fingers,:)
just send it in at me at
Joe Houser
1900 Weld Blvd.
El Cajon, Ca. 92020

Just for rederence, the "cheap regular" 110 should perform nearly as well, with the only diference being edge retention.
Hope this helps.
 
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